How to Make Caramel Popcorn with Caramel Candies

The Kernel
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This recipe is the ultimate proof that you don’t have to bust out the wallet and buy tons of ingredients to make something delicious. Caramel popcorn only has a few ingredients, but it’ll still be one of the tastier popcorn recipes you’ll ever make! Once your family and friends with a sweet tooth have a taste of this popcorn recipe, you’ll be in trouble. Because they’ll keep coming back for more!

On top of these, this caramely, sweet, and crunchy popcorn makes for an excellent holiday food gift. Even if you forgot to buy anything for your family or friends, you can just whip up a caramel popcorn, put it in a cute little box, tie a bow on it, et voila! No one will complain about getting caramel popcorn as a gift, because they’ll be stuffing their mouths with this scrumptiously sweet popcorn. Now, buckle up and tag along with us to get poppin’! We’ve written down two caramel popcorn recipes for you; the second one is an even easier, 10-minute microwave version, as if the first one isn’t easy enough.

How to Make Caramel Popcorn with Caramel Candies

Since this recipe only has two main ingredients, it’s important that they’re cooked right. Otherwise it might ruin all your hard work. Don’t worry, though. You only need to be worried about the caramel part, as popping popcorn is pretty easy. Also, there are two camps when it comes to caramel popcorn; you either love the dry and crunchy stuff, or you’re a fan of that sticky, gooey stuff. It’s usually hard to find the middle ground, but don’t worry.

All it takes to achieve the texture you desire is getting the temperature right. If you’re a fan of the sticky goodness, simply skip the oven step and just let the caramel popcorn cool to room temperature, and then dig in! But today, we’ll be discussing the dry and crunchy version.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Caramel candies – you can use your favorite brand, or any other brand should also work
  • ¼ cup corn kernels – yields 8 cups popped popcorn
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp water
  • ½ tbsp coconut or neutral oil
  • Pot with a fitting lid
  • Large bowl
  • Parchment paper

Instructions

  • First things first, preheat the oven to 225°F (110°C)
  • Put a pot over medium heat to pop the popcorn
  • Add the coconut or neutral oil and let it heat up for a couple of minutes
  • Add a few corn kernels into the pot and cover the lid
  • Once they start popping, add the rest of the kernels, give them a quick stir, and cover the lid
  • After most of them have popped and the popping sound started to die down, take them off the heat and dump them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  • In a large saucepan, combine the butter, water, and the Caramel candies, and let them melt over low heat while stirring constantly
  • When everything is melted thoroughly, pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and mix well by folding the mixture from bottom to top, and then slightly flatten it out
  • Bake for 20 to 30 minutes and give it a stir every 10 minutes or so
  • Once the time is up and the caramel popcorn looks and sounds dry, take it out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature
  • When it’s cool enough to handle, break up any large popcorn clusters and dump the caramel popcorn to a large
  • Enjoy!

10-Minute Microwave Caramel Popcorn

This even easier and quicker caramel popcorn recipe really comes in clutch during a sugar craving, in case of unexpected guests, or a spontaneous movie night with your friends. The best part is that even though it only takes 10 minutes, you don’t compromise on flavor. It’s just as good! If you’re in need of a quick, sweet snack, here’s how you make caramel popcorn in the microwave in 10 minutes:

Ingredients

  • 8 cups popped popcorn – you can refer to the stovetop method above to pop the popcorn or a bag of microwave popcorn will also do
  • 1 cup Caramel candies – you can use your favorite brand, or any other brand should also work
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp water
  • Large paper grocery bag – not a thin, brown lunch bag, it should be heftier

Instructions

  • Put the popped popcorn in a clean, unused paper grocery bag
  • Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper
  • Melt the caramel candies, water, and butter in a large saucepan over low heat while stirring constantly
  • Once the caramel mixture is ready, pour it into the paper grocery bag, and give it a quick stir
  • Seal the top of the bag by folding it 2 to 3 times and microwave the caramel popcorn for a minute on the high setting
  • After 1 minute, take the bag out, hold it by the folded top, and shake it vigorously to mix the caramel popcorn – be very careful during this step, sugar burn is no joke!
  • Still folded, put it back for one more minute on the high setting
  • Once again, carefully shake it
  • Dump the bag to the greased and parchment lined baking sheet, flatten with a spatula or spoon, and let it cool to room temperature – or at least cold enough to handle
  • Break apart any large clusters
  • Enjoy!

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